Method and apparatus for consuming bodies



Dec. 26, 1944. VANDERWERF 2,365,983

I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR-CONSUMING BODIES Filed June 19) 1941 I INVENTOR LEONARD l1 IANMRuEKF ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 26, 1944 BODIES METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR; CONSUMINGi Leonard H. Vanderwerf, New YorlgN; Y. Application June 19, 1941, Serial no; 398,718:

'2 Claims.

The invention relates to a construction and method which Will'consume a body without fl-ame or visible flame. The method consists fundamentally of encasing the body in a scalable chamher then subjecting it to high enough temperatures; either with a vacuum or an inert gas or atmosphere in the chamber; to drive off all vol'atilematter, such as moisture, fats and the like from the body, and leave eventually a carbon and skeletal residue. The combustible gases driven off are consumed in a separate furnace. Thereafter; the heating continues genera ly at a higher temperature and air is pumped or blown intoxthe chamber so that the carbon glows: without flame and is consumed which leaves the minerals as" the only remaining residue. The con-- struction embodies devices for efiect'uati'ng the method.

. It is an ob-jaect oi the invention to. provide a method for consuming a body without visible flaming.

Another object of the invention. is to construct apparatus which will consume a body Without visible flaming or burning.

Another object is to provide a method of consuming a body without visible flame: and withwhich is an enclosure which can be sealed air:-

tight: or substantially air-tight and from which air" is exhausted, or in lieu thereof, the enciosure: is filled. an. inert gas. or atmosphere A. second furnace is: provided for consuming the volatilized organic material- Other devices. may be provided to cool the products from the second furnace and; filter the gases emitted therefrom.

Other objects of the: invention will bev more apparent from the following description. taken in connection with the: accompanying illustrating a preilerrecl embodiment. of the. in.

relation, in, which the figure illustrates a priand secondary furnace with. a. scalable enclosure the; primary-furnace. and a final. cooler, as well as the pinnps: or blowers utilized with the furnaces.

.a'nd' also the vo'l'atilize'd organic matter.

The devices utilized in practicing theinvention include a primaryfurnacel-fl of any suitable form and construction in: which is provided a heatingmeans l I which may use gas, oil, coal, or any other medium, a gasheating unit being particularlyillustrated. The gas: may be conducted to the heating means it through the pipe 1'2 The primary furnace has a suitable chimney I3.

A chamber or enclosure I 5 is supported in the primary furnace upon suitable members such as the bars It; The chamber is constructedin any suitable manner so that it can be effectively sealed? or rendered suflicientl'y gas tight to prevent the. leakage. of armor a negligible amount of air: thereinto or sealed sufiici'entIy to retain an inert atmosphere therein.

A pipe t5! leads from the chamber or enclosure [5 to an exhaust fan or vacuum pump which initially evacuates the air from the chamber The fanaor'pump blows the: matter through an outlet pipe 2 l-' into. a. secondary furnace 2'2. A bly-pass pipe 23: directly connects the pipe. t9 with the outlet pipev 21 and; has: a valve 24 therein which which. connects with a pipe 29 having a valve 26 therein, which. pipe leads into: the sealed chamber I'fi. An inlet pipe 30 for the fan or blower 2T isi'connected' with a branch pipe 3i having a valve 32 controlling the same. The pipe 31 may'lead'to: any source; 35 of suitable inert gas, such as: nitrogen. carbon dioxide and the like, the. latter being preferable. Another branch '33 of. the pipe 30." leads: to atmosphere and has a valve. 34. therein.

The. outlet of: the. blower or pump 21 has another connecting'pipet'l having a valve 38 there in: leading to the secondary furnace 22. In the construction particularly illustrated, the pipe 31' connects with an enlarged pipe 39 which surrounds the outlet pipev 2:1: from the exhaust fan or pump 20. Any suitable connection for the air leading into. the furnace 22. is contemplated and that particularly illustrated is intended. to obtain. aneffective mixture of air and the volatile organic; matter issuing irom'thepipe 2t.

The secondary furnace 22 is provided with a suitable burner or heating means 40, the heater particularly illustrated being a gas burner connected with a source of gas fuel through the pipe 4!. The bottom of the secondary furnace may be provided with a cleanout door 42.

The secondary furnace has an outlet pipe and header 45 which may expel the consumed volatilized matter to atmosphere. However, in order to assure further that no obnoxious fumes are dispelled to atmosphere, an outlet pipe and header 45 leads to a cooler 45 of any suitable con struction.

dium, such as brine, and an outlet 48 therefor circulates the brine through the cooler. The gases from the secondary furnace pass from the header 45 through the cooling pipes 49 to the outlet pipe or header 5|.

The outlet pipe 5| leads from the cooler and has a'connection 52 which may lead to the sewer or other point of disposal for any matter condensed in the cooler and a connection 53 which leads to atmosphere. A filter 54 may be included in the connection 53 to atmosphere, which filter may be of carbon or other suitable material, to remove any trace of obnoxious gases or odors which may still remain in the expelled gases.

The above apparatus may be used to practice a new method of consuming a body without visible burning. The body is enclosed in the chamber l5 from which all air is evacuated, or the air is expelled by filling the chamber with an inert gas or an atmosphere which will-not support combustion. The chamber with the body therein is subjected to such a temperature as will drive off th moisturecontained Within the body and will also volatilize all organic material which can be gasified.

The volatilized organic material of the body is fed to the secondary furnace 22 where it is consumed or burned in the presence of oxygen. The results of the combustion in the secondary furnace may be cooled, if desired, in order to condense any gases and water vapor which may be passing therethrough and to further assure that there are no obnoxious odors or matter in the exhaust therefrom. Any material condensed in the cooler is disposed of in any suitable fashion.

After most of the organic material of the body has been volatilized, a carbon and mineral residue remains. This carbon and mineral residue is subjected to a higher temperature in the neighborhood of about 900 or higher, which temperature is not critical. Air or oxygen is blown through the chamber so that the carbon glows as it is consumed and without flame, much in the fashion that charcoal glows without flaming. The products emanating from the chamber are also directed to the secondary furnace where any unconsumed gases or matter are completely consumed. After the carbon is completely oxidized, a mineral residue remains in the sealable chamber. Any exhaust residue from the secondary furnace or cooler may be filtered to remove flying ash or dust and any residual odors which may remain.

Instead of merely evacuating thechamber I5, the air therein may be replaced or substituted by a gas or atmosphere which will not support combustion. Such gas or atmosphere may be blown or pumped into the sealable chamber by the pump or blower 21 by closing the valve 34 in the air inlet branch pipe 33 and opening the The cooler particularly illustrated may have an inlet 41 for any suitable cooling mevalve 32 in the inlet branch pipe 3|. It will not be necessary to continuously supply an atmosphere which will not support combustion because as the volatilizable organic matter becomes gasetilized and then glow consumed without flame or I appearance of burning in the chamber in the primary furnace. There is a wide latitude as to the temperatures to which the body is subjected. The body is completely consumed to a mineral residue. There is no ash or dust and no odors or objectionable ordors expelled. Also there is no sanitation problem involved which means that a body consumer of the invention can be located in a residential section.

This invention is presented to fill a need for improvements in a Method and apparatus for consuming a body. It is understood that various modifications in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly, and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefiting from the teachings of an invention. Hence, it will be understood that this disclosure is illustrative of preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form by explaining the construction, operation and advantages thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A body consumer comprising a primary furnace having a heating means, a gas tight chamber therein to receive a body, a secondary furnace having a heating means and an air inlet thereto, and means to withdraw initial air and the gases from the gas tight chamber and deliver them to the secondary furnace.

2. A body consumer comprising a furnace having a heating means, a gas tight chamber therein to receive a body, a secondary furnace having a heating means and an air inlet thereto, means to withdraw air and the gases from the gas tight chamber and deliver the same to the secondary furnace, and means to feed air into the gas tight chamber.

3. A body consumer comprising a primary furnace having a heating means, a gas tight chamber therein to receive a body, a secondary furnace having a heating means, means to withdraw the gases from the gas tight chamber and deliver the same to the secondary furnace, and means to deliever an inert atmosphere to the gas tight chamber.

4. A body consumer comprising a primary furnace having a heating means, a gas tight chamber therein to receive a body, a secondary furnace having a heating means, means to withdraw the gases from the gas tight chamber and deliver the same to the secondary furnace, means to deliver an atmosphere which will not support combustion to the gas tight chamber and to deliver air to the gas tight chamber and the secondary furnace, means to cool the gases from the secondary furnace, and means to filter the gases from the cooler.

5. A method of consuming a body without flame comprising subjecting the body to a volatilizing heat and free from an atmosphere whichwill support combustion, consuming the volatilized gases away from the body, and subjecting the residue to a temperature which will consume the same and at the same time supplying to said residue an atmosphere which will support combustion.

6. A method of consuming a body without flame comprising enclosing the body in a chamber, ex-

hausting the atmosphere therefrom, subjecting the body to a voiatilizing heat, withdrawing the volatilized gases fromthe chamber and consuming the same away from the body, and subjecting the residue to a temperature which will consume the same and at the same time supplying to said residue an atmosphere which will support combustion.

7. A method of consuming a, body without flame comprising subjecting the body to a temperature which volatilizes the volatilizable matter thereof while excluding an atmosphere which will support combustion, conducting the volatilized gases away from the body, and consuming the volatilized gases away from the body.

' LEONARD H. VANDERWERF. 

